Gods
Next to nothing is known about what the gods really are, where they come from or why they're here. Still, a lot has been written and a lot has been said about gods, what they've done and what they've said. These records of the god's doings are what forms the basis for all that is known about them. Unfortunately much of the information available about gods is both unreliable and contradictory. Despite this, scientists, theologians and other scholars have identified a number of traits of gods that they can almost universally agree on: * Gods exist. Empirical evidence has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that gods exist. Scientific evidence has not yet been obtained, which it is sometimes argued is another empirical evidence. * Gods have personalities. Through studying records of interactions with gods it's become clear that different gods have different personalities. Different gods demand different types of worship and they handle their worshippers differently. * Gods can communicate with anyone, anywhere. Neither distance nor language appears to be a barrier for gods. If a god wants to bring someone a message they will do so no matter where this someone is or what language they speak. It is also said that this works the other way around; that gods can hear you no matter where you are. This hasn't been proven but is generally thought to be accurate. * Gods are able to do magic with or without manipulating the aether. * The magic of the gods is magnitudes more powerful than that of elves and mortals. *'Gods can create life – up to and including entire new species.' The most apparent example if this is the anfylk race, created by the goddess Anna. This is however the only example of an entirely new race created from scratch by a god. It is more common that gods have blessed elven half-breeds with the ability to reproduce and in that way contributed to the creation of new races. * Magic and enchants done by gods do not expire. * Gods benefit from or enjoy being worshipped. It is unclear how gods benefit from it, but it is quite clear that they actively encourage worship. Some gods require highly formal or ritualistic worship, while others prefer more casual methods. Some gods have made it clear they are opposed to certain types of worship, blood sacrifice etc., but no god has yet been encountered who actively discourages worship. * Gods can chose representatives among the elves and mortals and lend them their powers. Usually this is done with priests and prophets, to give them additional power when spreading the word of the god or trying to discern the will of the god. Less common is for a god to chose a paladin, someone to independently act as an extension of the gods will in the world. Mahradian Pantheon The nation of Mahradia acknowledges the largest pantheon in the known world. Their main temple houses thousands of shrines each one dedicated to its own distinct god. This article lists a few of them. The Official IITA Pantheon This is the list of gods published and maintained by the International Independent Theologian's Association. Paladins The paladins are the mortal champions of the gods.